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Monday, 25 October 2010

Funny Games U.S

Funny Games, also known as Funny Games U.S is a psychological thriller. It was directed and written by Michael Haneke. The film was originally only released in German but was then re filmed, shot by shot in English, thus making it post-modernism.

The plot follows the Farber family who are staying at their holiday house in the country.

Having only been in the house for a few hours, two boys Paul and Peter, previously seen with the family's neighbours, start harassing Ann in the kitchen. Meanwhile her son Georgie and husband George are outside attending to the family boat. When George asks the boys to leave they turn nasty. After breaking George's leg with a golf club, they then terrorise the family. Through out the film the boys end up breaking the 4th wall of cinema. This is seen when one of the boys turns and faces the camera, asking the audience if they're on the family's side.

Another moment where the 4th wall is broken is when Ann shoots Peter, only for Paul to pick up the remote and rewind the scene. He grabs the shotgun before the previous original sequence can occur for a second time.

Overall I really didn't like this film at all. I can usually handle violent films but this one was over the top, especially when the young child was murdered. There were one or two occasions where I was tempted to simply walk out and look up on IMDB to see what happened, but I stuck it through. The two boys also scared me as well. They way they act through out the film, although psychotic, they act in a polite manor. The fact that they wear all white also heightens the feeling.